Planet-Warming Cow Burps Now Seen From Space
Satellites are now being used to track methane emissions - and are reporting planet-warming greenhouse gases coming from cattle farms.
Scientists are now using satellites to track emissions from the livestock industry for the first time - and their findings reveal that planet-warming methane from cow burps can be seen from space.
High-resolution satellites detected methane emissions from an agricultural area in Joaquin Valley, California, and were later tracked down to cattle feedlots in the Bakersfield area.
The data collected revealed that the annual emissions from these feedlots alone would result in 5,116 tonnes of gas being released - enough to power 15,402 homes.
Credit: GHGSat
Satellites used in the research are roughly the size of a microwave oven, and orbit at an altitude of 500kms. Pioneered by environmental data company GHGSat, the devices can pinpoint the exact source of even small leaks, representing a step forward in being able to monitor the sources of harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
Why Monitor Cow Burps?
Total emissions from global livestock farming represents 14.5 percent of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). And cattle in particular, raised for both beef and milk - are the biggest cause of pollution, representing about 65 percent of the livestock sector’s emissions.
That’s because cattle are a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and is 84 times more potent than CO2. Cows' unique digestion process sees them release methane through burping, with each animal burping up to 500 litres of the gas every day.
Monitoring these emissions is essential, according to GHGSat, for the beef-production industry to enforce new climate targets. Tracking this information can also encourage both industry and consumers to take climate action and help inspire more progress in producing sustainable animal-free alternatives to beef and dairy products.
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